Can-marking machine.



F. P. RYDER. CAN MARKING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAR.11,1908.

1&049,924=. Patented 111.11913 3 SHEETS-SHEET` l.

NVENTOR F. P. RYDER.

CAN MARKING MACHINE. APPLIGATIONTILED MAR..11,1908.

1,049,924. Patented Jan. 7', 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

A ffomey A F. P. RYDER. CAN MARKING MACHINE.

- APPLICATION FILED MAR.11,I908.

1,049,924, Patented Jan. 7, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

panying drawings,

FRANK PITTIS RYDEB., OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

CAN-MARKING- MACHINE.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Application led March 11, 1908. Serial No. 420,524.

To all whom it mag/concern.'

Be it known that I, FRANK Prrrrs RYDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented Certain new and useful Improvements in Can-Marking Machines, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accomforming a part hereof.

My invention relates to can marking or numbering machines designed for use with canning machinery; and the purpose thereof is to print a certain word, number or mark uponthe cans at some time during the canning process, which word, number or mark will indicate the kind of goods, grade, or other features of the contents of the can; the purpose of the mark being to enable the subsequent identification of the cans upon which it is printed, and not for the purpose of serving as a label to inform purchasers of the contents of the can.

With the above purpose in view, my invention consists in the can marking machine illustrated in the accompanying drawings, described in the following specification, ands of the conc uding claim.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is an elevation of my improve can marking machine as seen looking along the line in which the cans' travel, the movement of the cans being toward the observer. YFig. 2 is an elevation of my machine as seen from the right of Fig. 1, the movement of the cans being toward the left; 3 is a p lanl view illustrating so much of my machine as lies below the plane indicated by the line A-B Figs. 1 and 2, the movement of the cans being toward the left; Fig. 4 is a .sectional view taken in the horizontal plane indicated by the line C-D, Figs. 1 and 2, certain of the parts, however, bein omitted for the sake of clearness; Fig.`5 1s an elevation of a cam' appearing also in Fig. 2, the printing mechanism being omitted to show the construction of the cam more clearly; and, Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 are views illustrating details of the type hold-- ing mechanism employed in my machine.

In the drawings 1 and 2 represent portions of the bed of any machine forming a part ofcanning apparatus and-to which it is desired to attach my marking machine. It will be understood that these elements ecically claimed in the clausesl may be a part of one of the numerous conveyers commonly used in canning plants, or they may be tracks provided for the express purpose of forming a support for my device. My improved marking machine is adapted for use 'in a`ny location past which cans are moved.

The elements 1 and 2 will ordinarily be provided with guide strips 3' and 4 between which the cans pass, as will' be understood' from Figs. 1 and 3; and 5 is a feedin chain havingl a series of slats 6 attached thereto which travel over the upper surfaces of the members 1 and 2, and upon which slats the cans rest, certain of said slats being provided .with lugs 7 to engage and move the cans along. The elements thus.

far described, while they are present in many machines used in the canning business, will be seen to form in effect a conveyer by means of which cans are caused to travel past a given point, at which pointl my can marking machine will be located.

Patentedaan. 7,1913.

My can marking machine is shown as secured to the member 1 by means of a bracket 8, the upper surface of which is provided .with a groove 9 whereby my machine may be adjusted transversely to the members 1 and v2. l

10 represents the main frame of my machine, which frame serves as a support for all the operating parts and is secured to the bracket 8 by means of the bolt 12; a tongue 11 which enters the groove 9 being provided which, in connection with an elongated slot for the bolt 12, permits the said frame to be adjusted transversely to lthe path along which the cans move.

13 is an element which I designate as a turnstile and which is secured to the frame 10 by means of a bolt 14 about which it is free to rotate. The turnstile is provided with projecting arms 15, and with depressed intermediate portions 161 shaped to conform substantially with the periphery of the cans to be operated upon; and it is so Vadjusted as by moving the frame 10 upon the bracket 8 that the arms 15 project over the conveyer along which the cans pass, so that successive cans will engage the arms 15 as they pass along and thus rotate the turnstile 13, as will be understood from Figs. 1 and 2, in which the cans are shown in dotted lines, and from Fig. 3 in which the cans are shown in plan.

16 is a gear secured to the turnstile 13, and 17 is a vertical shaft supported in bearings 13 carried by the frame 10.

19 is a pinion upon the lower endv of the shaft 17 and in mesh with the gear 16.

20 is a collar for supporting the shaft 17.

21 is a horizontal shaft drlven from the shaft 17 by means of miter gears 22, 23, vwhich shaft extends to a point over the cans to be marked and carries the printing or marking mechanism hereinafter described. This shaft 21 may be supported in any suitable bearings carried by the frame 10. ll, however, as a preferred construction, mount the shaft 21 in a vertically adjustable supporting member 24 which is shown .as provided with a square opening 25 through which a correspondingly shaped portion of the frame 10 extends. 1n the construction illustrated, see Figs. 1 and 4, the shaft 21 extends through the frame 10, and an elongated slot 26 is formed therein the upper end of which is shown in Fig; 1; the frame 10 being shown broken away to illustrate this feature. The supporting member 24 is secured in position by means ofy a set screw 27, and the gear 22 is freely adjustable upon the shaft 17 to bring it into Vmesh with the gear 23 after the supporting member 24 is properly adjusted and secured in position.

28 is a set screw for securing the gear22 to the shaft 17.

29 is a rotary head carried by the shaft 21 and to which the printing mechanism is secured. This printing mechanism comprises arms 30 secured to the head 29 by the screws 42; together with swinging type supporting members-,.31 pivoted or hinged to the arms 30 at- 40, whereby the said type supporting members are capable of move-- ment independent of and relative lto the shaft 21.

33, 33 are springs which in the embodiment of my invention illustrated I have shown as secured between the head 29 and the arms 30, the free ends of which springs engage the swinging type supporting mem? bers 31 and tend to force them outward.

The type supporting members 31 carry detachable type carriers 32 of box-like form in which the type for marking the cans are held. These type carriers 32 are provided lwith a longitudinal groove 34 which engages with a projection 35 in a rectangular holder 36 upon the free ends of the type supporting members 31, and 37 is a spring catch having a projection 38 adapted to engage a i 'second groove `39 in the type carriers 32. The swinging type supporting members 31 are provided with projecting arms V41 to engage a cam to be next described:

The details of the mechanism for holding the type securely in place, as above described, while at the same time permitting 66 the convenient removal of one kind of type resaca/i and the substitution of another kind when a` diiferent mark is to be printed on the cans, are illustrated in Figs. 2, and 6 to 10 of the drawing. These details may, of course, be varied considerably withodt departing from the spirit of my invention. 1t will be understood 'that a number of type carriers 32 will be provided for each machine, each type carrier having permanently secured therein an arbitrary sign or the letters to form a given word; and when it is desired to change the mark to be printed on the cans, the operator has only to release and remove one set of two type car riers and insert another set in the place of the one removed.

43 is a cam member for controlling the action of the printing mechanism and is preferably carried by and formed in one piece with the supporting member 24. This cam member is of annular form as will be understood from Figs. 2, 4, and 5, and the l inner surface thereof is the operating surface. This inner surface is provided with two depressions 44 and 45 each of which depressions include a shoulder as 46 or 47 leading abruptly from the inner surface of the cam, and a more or less gradually rising surface as 48 or 49 leading back to the inner surface of the cam. It will however be understood that the form of these depressions is of secondary importance, so long as the functions hereinafter ascribed to the cam member as a whole are carried out.

The relative location of the rotary head 29 which carries the printing mechanism, and the ycam 43, see Fig. l, is such that when the machine is properly assembled the projecting arms 41 of the type supporting members 3l will slide over the inner surface of the cam 43 when the shaft 21 is rotated, and will be forced into the two depressions 44 and 45 when opposite those depressions, it being remembered that the springs 33 lend' always to force the supporting members outward. y

50 is an inkpad for supplying ink to the printing mechanism. This pad is supported by an arm 51 which I have shown as secured to the cam 43 by means of a stud bolt 52, and said pad is freely rotatableupon a bolt53 whereby it is secured to the arm 51.

The construction of my can marking machine being as above disclosed, the operation thereof is as follows: (lans `are fed along the conveyer formed bythe tracks l and 2 and the feeding chain 5, the direction of movement being from right to left, Fig. 3. The cans engage and operate the turnstile 13, which operates the shafts 17 and 21 through the gears 16 and pinion 19, and the miter gears 22, 23 thereby rotating the head 29 carrying the printing mechanism, the rotation imparted thereto being in a clock-wise direction. As the head 29 is rotated the projecting arms 41 of the type supporting members 31move over the inner surface of the cam 43 until said arm (considering the upper members 31, Fig. 2)-

the arm 41 moves up the incline 48 leading from the depression 44. The type-supporting member is now moved forward until its arm 41 comes to the shoulder 47 of the depression 45, when the type supporting member will again be forced outward by its spring 33, the type this time being forced against the can to be marked. During further rotary movement of the head 29 the arm 41 moves up the inclined portion 49 of the depression 45, whereby the type carrier is moved away from the can.

The form of the depressed portion 44 of the cam 43 should be such vthat'the typel will move for some little distance in cont-act with the ink pad 50 while the form of the depressed portion 45 should permit as brief a Contact as practicable of the type with the cans. I, however, have so proportioned the parts of my machine that the type carriers 32 when in contact with the cans move in their path of travel at substantially the same speed as the speed at which the cans move forward; so that the type may be in contact with the cans for quite\'an appreciable time without blurring, as there is then substantially no relative movement between the type and the cans.

There being two printing devices carried by the head 29, and six arms upon the turnstile 13, it will be appreciated that the head 29 must rotate three times as fast as the turnstile in order that everycan maybe marked. I therefore make the ratio of the gear 16 and pinion 19 three to` one.

The machine illustrated is obviously intended to operate upon a definite size of can, both as to diameter and height. The capability of adjustment of the frame 10 transversely and of the carrier 24 vertically is to adapt themachine for other sizes 0f cans. In case the difference of size is considerable I may use a second turnstile of larger diameter in place of the one shown, and in operating upon cans of certain Standard sizes I use the form of type carrier shown in Fig. 9 in order to obtain a proportion of parts such that there WillA be no relative movement between the type and can when they are in contact, so Vthat blurring will be avoided.

Having thus described my invention and explained themode of operation thereof, I claim .and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a can marking machine, a turnstile,

adapted to be engaged and operated by cans as they are fed along; .a shaft pperated by said turnstile; a second shaft operated from said first mentioned shaft; printing mechanism carried by said second shaft and located adjacentithe cans to be marked but normally out of contact therewith; and a cam for controlling said printing mechamsm.

2. In a can marking machine, a turnstile adapted to be engaged and operated by cans as they are fed along; a vertical shaftoperated by said'turnstile; a horizontal shaft extending transverse to the line of movement of and located abovethe cans and operated from said vertical shaft; printing mechanism carried by said horizontal shaft and located adjacent the cans to bel marked but normally out of contact therewith; and a cam for controlling said printing mechanism.I

3. Ina can marking machine, a vertically extending supporting frame; a supporting member capable of vertical adjustment upon said frame; a rotary shaft supported by said supporting member; printing mechanism carried by said rotary shaft and `located adjacent the cans to be marked but normally out of contact therewith; a cam carried by said supporting member and adapted to control the operation of said printing mechanism; a turnstile adapted to be engaged by cans as they are fed along; a vertically extending shaft operated by said turnstile; and gearing whereby said vertically extending shaft drives said irst mentioned shaft.

4. In a can marking machine, a vertically cent the cans to be marked but normally out of contact therewith; a cam carried by said supporting member and adapted to control the operation of said printing mechanism; a turnstile adapted t-o be engaged b'y cans as they are fed along; a vertically extending shaft; gearing between said turnstile and said vertically extending shaft whereby' said' shaft is operated; and gearing ,between said vertically extending shaft andfsaid horizontal shaft whereby said horizontal shaft is operated.

5. In a can `marking machine, a horizontally .arranged rotary shaft; means for feeding cans past said rot-ary shaft; means engaged by the cans forrotatingsaid shaft;

en arm carried lijf seid shaft; a type supporting member hinged to said arm and adapted to swing in a vertical plane; a spring tending to swing said type supporting member about its hinge connection; ai vertically arranged cam adapted to restrain theswinging movement of said type supporting member; and en erm projecting from said type supporting member and adapted to engage seid cam.

6. The combination With e horizontall moving o'onveyer, of a revoluble element having :i plurality of printing types arranged equclistantly npon its eiroumfen ence 'radially resilient in relation thereto kand adapted to engage cans carried upright upon the seid conveyer, and 'Ineens associated with the said element and adapted to transpose the longitudinal movement o the conveyerinto enl intermittent rotative motion of the said element.A

. This specication signed and witnessed this 7th day of March A. D. 1908,.`

` FRANK lPllT'llIS RYDER. 

